An Update From The Lynnfield Recreational Path Committee

A release from the Lynnfield Recreational Path Committee:

The Lynnfield Board of Selectmen established the Recreational Path Committee in early 2017 to identify
linear corridors that offer opportunities for conversion to trails. The Committee has helped identify and
address the questions from our community and town boards/commissions, and will continue to do so.

The Lynnfield Recreational Path Committee has posted multiple documents since being established. These items can be located on the Town Website (https://www.town.lynnfield.ma.us/) by going to Boards and Commissions, and then going to Recreational Path Committee. In September, 2017 the Committee published a summary of the North Suburban Regional Bicycle Transportation Plan that is available on the website. The Summary describes the bike transportation alternatives that were evaluated and notes that the Wakefield Lynnfield Trail is the recommended option. At the same time the Committee posted a feasibility study of the currently proposed Wakefield/Lynnfield Rail Trail.

The Lynnfield Recreational Path Committee has begun working with Town Departments and Commissions to gather input on the currently proposed Wakefield/Lynnfield Rail Trail project, including the short-term and long-term costs. The Committee will also be working to publicize a meeting in the near future that will be hosted by the state Department of Transportation to collect public comment on the 25% design phase of the project.

The 25 percent design work, performed by World Tech Engineering, has resulted in a preliminary design and
permitting evaluation. The Committee worked with World Tech to host a Community Forum on March 27, 2018 to gather input on the 25% design plans from the community. The event was attended by approximately 100 people. WorldTech shared a brief presentation (that is posted on the Committee web-page) and then helped facilitate roundtable discussions to gather feedback on the plans. The feedback from the attendees was that the meeting was beneficial and similar forums will be scheduled in the future.

The Committee presented a summary of our research and findings to the Board of Selectmen on March 5th . The Status Report and presentation have been posted on the town site. The Board of Selectmen directed the committee to continue their efforts in working on the Wakefield Lynnfield Trail through the completion of the 25% design phase with WorldTech Engineering, and return later this year to present an update on the project.

Our meetings are open to the community to attend and we welcome questions from the community. The meetings are monthly and are posted on the Town Calendar. If you have any questions, the committee can be reached by email at recpath@town.lynnfield.ma.us.

Due to a recent vacancy, the Selectmen are looking for a new committee member. If interested, please submit a letter of interest to Bob Curtin at rcurtin@town.lynnfield.ma.us.